the psychological literacy compendium: an overview of ... · the psychological literacy compendium:...

www.bournemouth.ac.uk

The Psychological Literacy

Compendium: an overview of

practical activities

Dr Jacqui Taylor, Bournemouth University, UK

Dr Julie Hulme, University of Keele, UK

EFPTA Conference

Prague, Czech Republic

8-9th April 2016


Plan of Workshop

1. Introduction

2. Overview of compendium: features of case

studies

3. Exemplar case studies

4. Sharing ideas / experiences

5. Further work and request for case studies


1. What is psychological

literacy?

Cranney and Dunn (2011)

the adaptive application of

psychological science to

meet personal and

societal needs

Dunn (2008): “a critical thinker, someone

who welcomes intellectual exchanges

dealing with questions or problems linked

with behaviour ...an amiable skeptic, but

nonetheless insightful and reflective about

their own and others' actions”

McGovern et al. (2010)

the graduate attributes

(knowledge, skills,

attitudes) or learning

outcomes of the

undergraduate

psychology degree


A common theme = psychological

literacy in action

• Psychological knowledge / skills are for taking action, helping

others and improving the lives we lead, not just about facts

• Beyond employment, individuals, communities and society in general can benefit from the ethical, scientific and critical approach adopted by Psychology graduates

• Psychologically literate people can use what they know about psychology to solve home-based, local, civic, national and global matters by looking to data instead of personal opinion

• Psychologically literate students write and speak well, possess research, information literacy, and technology skills, and collaborate well with others

...but how can we design and assess activities?


2. The Compendium: Overview / Features of Case

Studies

Compendium of Practice = full versions of 18 case studies

available online at http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/22906/


Categories:

- Topic area

- When activity takes place in curriculum

- Whether core, elective or optional

- Teaching and assessment strategies

Categorised to allow easy

comparison of different

approaches


Topic areas and level:

Mental Health

Social Psychology

Developmental / Educational Psychology

Research Methods, Psychological

Enquiry, Psychology in Everyday Life

Occupational Psychology, Employability,

Placement, Work based learning,

Volunteering and applied psychology,

Experiential learning), PAL

Biological

Psychology

Social

Psychology

Developmental

Psychology

Research

Methods

Cognitive

Psychology Personality

Motivation

+ Emotion

Mainly at level six (final year undergrad) and elective, some voluntary

extra-curricular. Only six case studies within core units.

-> students could proceed through a degree without exposure to

psychological literacy-focussed units - misses potential value to all students


Enquiry-based learning / PBL

Work experience

Design intervention in groups

Critique of media reports

Peer mentoring

Volunteering

Research apprentice volunteers

Peer-assisted learning

Placement year

Teaching and

learning activities


Pecha Kucha presentations

Reflection on work experience

PDP plan

Case study from group work

Evaluate intervention

Written critique of media reports

Media article

Reflective portfolios

Powerpoint presentation

Group prepares bid for service contract

Report + group presentation

Regular logs and poster presentation

Propose intervention

Reports for different audiences

Case study and change intervention

Assessment

methods


McGovern et al (2010)

Important to define the attributes of

psychological literacy that activities are

designed to address

9 attributes that psychology graduates should display: (1) having a well-defined vocabulary and knowledge of the subject matter of psychology

(2) valuing the intellectual challenges required to use scientific thinking and the

disciplined analysis of information to evaluate alternative courses of action

(3) taking a creative and amiable sceptical approach to problem solving

(4) applying psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues in

work, relationships, and the broader community

(5) acting ethically

(6) being competent in using and evaluating information and technology

(7) communicating effectively in different modes and with many different audiences

(8) recognizing, understanding, and fostering respect for diversity

(9) being insightful and reflective about one's own and others' behaviour and mental

processes


Majority of case studies address 4th

and 9th attributes: employability and

reflection

Some attributes covered in most case

studies in a subsidiary way: 1st and

6th attributes, relating to subject matter

and evaluation of information

Surprisingly some attributes rarely

featured: 5th and 8th attributes on

ethics and diversity

- need for these in the revised addition

of the Compendium

Two attributes not included in

McGovern’s attributes need to be

added: global citizenship and a

‘supporting and caring’ attribute (key

motivator for many students)

1.K

no

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f

sub

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matt

er

2.

Ev

alu

ate

alt

ern

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ve

co

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es

3.

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tical

ap

pro

ach

4.A

pp

ly i

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ork

,

rela

tio

nsh

ips,

co

mm

un

ity

5.A

cti

ng

eth

icall

y

6.U

sin

g /

ev

alu

ati

ng

info

rmati

on

an

d

tech

no

logy

7.C

om

mu

nic

ati

on

8.D

ivers

ity

9.R

efl

ecti

on

Brunsden x x x x x x

Cachia et

al

x x x x

Cachia x x x x

Elcock &

Jones

x x x x x x

Griffin x x x x x

Hadlington x x x

Hill x x x x

Hughes x x x x x

Kent &

Skipper

x x x x x x

Maunder x x x x

Mayer et

al x x x x

Pauli et al x x x x

Reddy x x x x x

Rosenkratz x x x x

Smith &

Morton

x x x x

Walker x x x

Watt x x x x x

Weinberg x x x x

We mapped

attributes to case

study activities


3. Example Activities to Engage

Students with Psychological

Literacy


Case study and change intervention

Students are supported through lectures and discussions to apply

theoretical models of psychology to improve wellbeing in a work-

place of their choice.

Adopt the role of an organisational consultant, and reflect critically

on the relevance of psychology in the real world of work.

Dr Ashley

Weinberg, level

6 elective unit,

Occupational

Psychology

Problem-based

learning


Dr Bronach Hughes & Prof

Marcia Worrell

Level 6 Experiential learning

Students volunteer to run Pyramid

Clubs for children 7-14 years with

early signs of mental ill health.

After training, students gain

experience of working with

children, and reflect on impact of

psychological theories in real

contexts


Mayer et al

Griffin

Cachia

Cachia et al

Dr Pauli & Prof Worrell

- audio clips of student

thoughts


• Many employers do not know the difference

between the skills of psychology students and

other students ...do your students?!

• ‘Awareness of ‘Psychological Literacy’ shown to

significantly enhance employability’ (BPS / HEA)

• Awareness of how psychology affects your self and

your behaviour with others is important in other

areas of your life post-degree too

‘A key outcome of undergraduate

psychology education is for students to

be psychologically literate for the world

of work’ (UK: BPS and HEA)


Ask students to reflect upon and

identify psychological literacy

Awareness is

important for job-

hunting, interviews,

and subsequent

employment

Students identify where skills and

knowledge are developed

Discuss to what extent students are

psychologically literate?

how you have used knowledge/skills

from the psychology degree in

work

examples from part-time / temporary /

voluntary work experiences


In which units are these skills and

knowledge developed? (in pairs + give eg)

Formal + informal learning activities (consider

seminars, labs, lectures, assessment, study groups):

Organisational understanding

Communication skills

Project management

Teamworking

Research and analysis

Critical thinking

Problem solving

Personal attributes

Numeracy and IT skills


Unit Seminar/lab Assess Lecture

Organisational understanding Occ Psych v v v

Communication skills Social Psych v

Project management Project v

Teamworking SID/CyberPsyc v v

Research and analysis EMSA1/2 v v v

Critical thinking Cognitive Psych v v

Problem solving Cognitive Psych v v

Professional/ Many v v v

personal attributes

Numeracy and IT skills EMSA v v v

For example…


4. Sharing ideas / experiences


5. Summary: further work and

request for case studies


Summary and further work

Need to embed and assess

psychological literacy throughout degree

- all areas + levels

- not just optional or employability units

Need to evaluate effectiveness of

activities

e.g. pre and post measures


Further Europlat Activities

We’re producing revised ‘Compendium of

Case Studies’ …international contributions

needed!

Europlat bids for funds to set up a European

Network for Teachers and Lecturers

- Conference Salzburg

September 2017


Resources

Websites:

Europlat

https://www.facebook.com/Europlat/?fref

=photo

Psychological Literacy: a compendium of

practice

http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/22906

Coming soon from Prof Cranney!

http://www.psychologicalliteracy.com/ Publications:

Mair, C., Taylor, J. & Hulme, J. 2013. An Introductory Guide

to Psychological Literacy and Psychologically Literate

Global Citizenship. HEA.

Taylor & Hulme (2015). Introducing a compendium of

Psychological Literacy case studies. Psychology Teaching

Review, 21(2), 25-34.

Hulme, J. (2015). Psychologically Literacy: from classroom

to real world. The Psychologist.

https://www.facebook.com/Europlat/?fref=photo

https://www.facebook.com/Europlat/?fref=photo

http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/22906

http://www.psychologicalliteracy.com/

the psychological literacy compendium: an overview of ... · the psychological literacy compendium:...

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